Kalam Mekhar
Minala (wife) House of Chains, Chapter 6 Barathol Mekhar (Distant Cousin)The Bonehunters, Chapter 14, UK MMPB, pg. 686Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 11, UK MMPB, pg. 447 |affiliation=ex-Claw Bridgeburners |occupation=Assassin Soldier |rank=Corporal |titles= |warren= |soletaken= |divers= }} Kalam Mekhar was an assassin originally from Seven CitiesGardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p. xii. He was black-skinned and described as moving effortlessly despite his girthGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.55 Other descriptions include him being tall and broad shouldered, big and almost bearlike in appearanceGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.80, but in possession of a certain grace. He had dark eyes. Kalam spoke with a north Seven Cities accent, melodic and round and had a deep, smooth laughGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.153 He and Quick Ben had a habit of speaking in tandem.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK HB p.130/131 exampleGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.155Their friendship had begun long before both men became Bridgeburners. According to Pearl, during his Imperial days in Karashimesh, Kalam had had another partner named Porthal K'nastra.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 17, UK HB p.735 Before the Bridgeburners Kalam served as a member of the ClawGardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p. xii. Apsalar, drawing on her memories from her possession by Cotillion (also Dancer), related that Kalam had been a Falah'dan's Dagger and that the Claw gave him command of a hand.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.63 He was a master assassin. In Gardens of the Moon Kalam was Corporal of the 9th Squad of the Bridgeburners under Sergeant WhiskeyjackGardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB xii. After the battle at Pale, Kalam was present when Quick Ben shifted the soul of Hairlock into a puppet - Tattersail thought that the soldier looked like someone who had come to like killing. Kalam pulled some strings and ascertained that someone high up in the Empire had the Bridgeburners marked.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.103 Whiskeyjack thought of Kalam as the ninth squad's killer.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.106 Whenever Sorry was close to him, Kalam would slip a knife into his palm.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.133 Kalam admitted to Tattersail of being afraid when they were waiting for Hairlock who might be tracked by Hounds of Shadow. Her admission of having been sat on a pillow for the last two hours made both of them laugh.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.153 In Deadhouse Gates Kalam ventured with Fiddler, Crokus (later Cutter) and Apsalar (previously Sorry) to the heart of the Malazan Empire. They journeyed under the guise of taking Apsalar home, but Fiddler and Kalam had plans to kill the Empress Laseen, during this mission. However, that part of the plan was delayed as Kalam set off through the desert to bring the Book of Dryjhna to Sha'ik. Afterwards he stumbled upon and later traveled for a time with Keneb, Minala, Selv and their children until they met up with the Chain of Dogs. During this time, there are signs that Minala grew closer to him. After a battle with certain pirates on the transport (ship) that he was travelling in towards Malaz, he was betrayed by Salk Elan, who revealed himself to be a Claw by the name of Pearl. He was left injured to be hunted in Malaz City but turned the game around on the Claws, and instead started hunting them down. At an extremely critical juncture, he was saved by Minala who had followed him all the way from Aren on another ship. Kalam did ultimately confront the Empress in Mock's Hold, or at least a projection of her using a rotting corpse as a vessel, but allowed himself to be persuaded to abandon the idea of killing her.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23 His reasons for wanting to assassinate her were not altogether allayed, but they were swallowed up as she showed him the problems in the context of the empire as a whole.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23 In House of Chains According to a comment made by Cotillion, Kalam and Minala were now married.House of Chains, Chapter 6 After leaving the Shadow Realm and setting out for Raraku, Kalam came upon Irriz and his renegades, staking out the cliffside fortress of B'ridys. With the help of Sinn and an azalan demon, Kalam wiped out the renegades and took Irriz prisoner.House of Chains, Chapter 9 In The Bonehunters Kalam accompanied Adjunct Tavore and her aide T'amber to Mock's Hold where they met with the Empress and discovered that she had reinstated Korbolo Dom and appointed Mallick Rel to her inner circle. The Empress betrayed Tavore, so that Kalam and the two women were left to battle for their lives in a chase back to the Froth Wolf in Malaz harbour while being pursued by the Claw Assassins led by Pearl. Kalam decided to attempt to buy Tavore and T'amber some time by leading some of the Claw hands away from the two women. He was ultimately shot down by Pearl with a poisoned quarrel and left to dieThe Bonehunters, Chapter 23, UK MMPB p.1143. Shadowthrone found him and took him to the Deadhouse. In The Crippled God Considerable time later, Kalam was awakened in the Deadhouse by Quick Ben and Minala.The Crippled God, Chapter 18, UK HB p.505-509 The three journeyed to Kolanse via warren to take part in the war to free the Crippled God by the side of Ganoes Paran. Kalam partnered up with Quick Ben in helping the Paran siblings fight the Pure Blood Forkrul Assail in the north of Kolanse, using their combined skills to assassinate the Pure Bloods on and off the battlefield. The two united with Fiddler and Hedge at the Marine/Heavy detachment guarding the Crippled God's body in the final battle with the Assail. Quotes Notes and References pl:Kalam Category:Bridgeburners Category:Assassins Category:Seven Cities natives Category:Malazans Category:Males Category:Claw members Category:Corporals Category:Humans